b. The Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DR-TA)
Theoretical/Research base
The purpose of the Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DR-TA) is to activate prior knowledge, enhance focus and critical thinking skills, check accuracy of predictions, and help students to be active and deliberate readers. It is a method that is supported by three accepted principles of comprehension: three common theoretical principles:
“an emphasis on reader engagement and social mediation, activation of relevant prior knowledge, and anticipation of what information might be likely to be included in the text.”[i]
The approach is flexible—easily adapted to any text level and can be used for critical parts of a narrative, like initiating events or character development (Beck and McKeown, 1981). As Vacca and Vacca note, the approach works well for both individuals and groups (1996).
Multiple studies show that this technique successfully improves students’ ability to answer comprehension questions (Baumann, et al., 1992; Reutzel & Hollingsworth, 1991), and that it is empirically more effective than Picture Walks (PW) and Know-Want to Learn-Learn (KWL) according to a study by Katherine Stahl (2008)[ii], and more powerful than Think-Alouds (Renn, 1999)[iii] Moreover, the DRTA is regularly cited as a highly effective instructional strategy for enhancing comprehension (Anderson, 1984; Tierney & Pearson, 1986).
Steps for teaching the DR-TA with narrative texts
1) Choose the text that will be used.
2) Pre-select points in the text where students will pause during the reading process. Each reading section should be relatively short, depending on the difficulty of the text.
3) Introduce the text, the purpose of the DRTA (to help students think critically and better understand the text by making and verifying predictions). Explain that you will be expecting them to talk in front of the group and take some risks, and be respectful of each other.
4) D - DIRECT - Teachers direct and stimulate students' thinking prior to reading a passage by scanning the title, chapter headings, illustrations, and other explanatory materials. Then teachers should use open-ended questions to direct students as they make predictions about the content or perspective of the text (e.g., "Given this title, what do you think the passage will be about?"). Students should be encouraged to justify their responses and activate prior knowledge.
5) R - READING - Teachers should have students read up to the first pre-selected stopping point in the text. The teacher then prompts the students with questions about specific information and asks them to evaluate their predictions and refine them if necessary. This process should be continued until students have read each section of the passage.
6) T - THINKING - At the end of the reading, teachers should have students go back through the text and think about their predictions. Students should verify or modify the accuracy of their predictions by finding supporting statements in the text. The teacher deepens the thinking process by asking questions such as:
In the advanced stages, you can have students write their responses, discuss them in small groups, then summarize how accurate they were. Learners might find these bookmarks helpful for guiding them through this process. In summary, the DRTA asks students to read a samples of the text, make predictions, and sample the text to confirm or make a revision in their predictions.
[i] http://williamsme1.wordpress.com/re-3030/drta-research-article-study-guide/
[ii] Dougherty Stahl, Katherine A.(2008)'The Effects of Three Instructional Methods on the Reading Comprehension and Content Acquisition of Novice Readers',Journal of Literacy Research,40:3,359 — 393
[iii] http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1479&context=theses
[iv] http://www.adlit.org/strategies/23356/
Snapshot
The purpose of the Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DR-TA) is to activate prior knowledge, enhance focus and critical thinking skills, check accuracy of predictions, and help students to be active and deliberate readers. It is a method that is supported by three accepted principles of comprehension: three common theoretical principles:
“an emphasis on reader engagement and social mediation, activation of relevant prior knowledge, and anticipation of what information might be likely to be included in the text.”[i]
The approach is flexible—easily adapted to any text level and can be used for critical parts of a narrative, like initiating events or character development (Beck and McKeown, 1981). As Vacca and Vacca note, the approach works well for both individuals and groups (1996).
Multiple studies show that this technique successfully improves students’ ability to answer comprehension questions (Baumann, et al., 1992; Reutzel & Hollingsworth, 1991), and that it is empirically more effective than Picture Walks (PW) and Know-Want to Learn-Learn (KWL) according to a study by Katherine Stahl (2008)[ii], and more powerful than Think-Alouds (Renn, 1999)[iii] Moreover, the DRTA is regularly cited as a highly effective instructional strategy for enhancing comprehension (Anderson, 1984; Tierney & Pearson, 1986).
Steps for teaching the DR-TA with narrative texts
1) Choose the text that will be used.
2) Pre-select points in the text where students will pause during the reading process. Each reading section should be relatively short, depending on the difficulty of the text.
3) Introduce the text, the purpose of the DRTA (to help students think critically and better understand the text by making and verifying predictions). Explain that you will be expecting them to talk in front of the group and take some risks, and be respectful of each other.
4) D - DIRECT - Teachers direct and stimulate students' thinking prior to reading a passage by scanning the title, chapter headings, illustrations, and other explanatory materials. Then teachers should use open-ended questions to direct students as they make predictions about the content or perspective of the text (e.g., "Given this title, what do you think the passage will be about?"). Students should be encouraged to justify their responses and activate prior knowledge.
5) R - READING - Teachers should have students read up to the first pre-selected stopping point in the text. The teacher then prompts the students with questions about specific information and asks them to evaluate their predictions and refine them if necessary. This process should be continued until students have read each section of the passage.
6) T - THINKING - At the end of the reading, teachers should have students go back through the text and think about their predictions. Students should verify or modify the accuracy of their predictions by finding supporting statements in the text. The teacher deepens the thinking process by asking questions such as:
- What do you think about your predictions now?
- What did you find in the text to prove your predictions?
- What did you find in the text that caused you to modify your predictions?[iv]
In the advanced stages, you can have students write their responses, discuss them in small groups, then summarize how accurate they were. Learners might find these bookmarks helpful for guiding them through this process. In summary, the DRTA asks students to read a samples of the text, make predictions, and sample the text to confirm or make a revision in their predictions.
[i] http://williamsme1.wordpress.com/re-3030/drta-research-article-study-guide/
[ii] Dougherty Stahl, Katherine A.(2008)'The Effects of Three Instructional Methods on the Reading Comprehension and Content Acquisition of Novice Readers',Journal of Literacy Research,40:3,359 — 393
[iii] http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1479&context=theses
[iv] http://www.adlit.org/strategies/23356/
Snapshot
Think about it
1) What obstacles do you think students might face when reading a narrative text?
2) Before using this strategy with students, how will you create a classroom where students who are not risk-takers will share their feelings?
3) Select a difficult reading passage for 10th graders. Where will you insert the checkpoints? Why?
2) Before using this strategy with students, how will you create a classroom where students who are not risk-takers will share their feelings?
3) Select a difficult reading passage for 10th graders. Where will you insert the checkpoints? Why?